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Imperial Vehicles
, the emblem of the Imperium of Man]] The Imperium of Man is composed of several different military forces, from the basic infantrymen of the Imperial Guard to the massive Titans and starships that represent the most potent manifestations of the Emperor of Mankind's might. These armed forces each have their own specific vehicles, but they also field several vehicles common to more than one branch, such as the Rhino. These separate armed forces are represented by different armies, and the organisation of this list reflects this reality. The armed forces of the Imperium include, but are not limited to the Space Marines, the Imperial Guard, the Adeptus Mechanicus including the Titan Legions, the Inquisition, the Adeptus Arbites and the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas. In addition, owing to their nature as the former Space Marine Legions of the Imperium, the Chaos Space Marines of the Traitor Legions use many of the same vehicles that the Loyalist Space Marines of the Imperium use. Space Marine Vehicles The vehicles of the Space Marines are suited to their rapid-strike tactics, focusing more on speed and mobility rather than protection or sheer destructive potential. The vehicles used by the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes include: *Rhino *Razorback *Predator *Land Speeder *Land Raider *Assault Bike *Whirlwind *Vindicator *Thunderhawk *Storm Raven *Dreadnought *Contemptor Dreadnought *Drop Pods *Sabre Tank Hunter *Ceastus Assault Ram *Fireraptor Gunship *Damocles Imperial Guard Vehicles Imperial Guard Vehicles include main battle tanks, armoured transports, artillery pieces, and super-heavy tanks capable of running-over normal sized tanks with ease and successfully destroying even certain Titans. Adeptus Mechanicus Vehicles The Adeptus Mechanicus is the largest supplier of technology, vehicles, and machinery in the Imperium of Man. The Mechanicum does not use normal tanks and vehicles during battle like the other Imperial Forces, instead they make use of masses regiments of modified human cyborgs, robotic slaves and massive walking war-machines along with other more specilised weaponry. The only vehicles that are used by the Mechanicum that are commonly used the rest of the Imperium are used for transportation and labour needs. The main military force of the Mechanicum includes the following: Knights and a Battle Cannon]]A Knight is a walking, humanoid war-machine used by the Mechanicum. The Knight is crewed by a single pilot and while they are larger than most other Imperial vehicles, they are smaller than even the smallest Titan. there are several different types of Knight walkers in use including: *'Knight Warden' - The Warden Knight are armed with long ranged, heavy weapons and were well armoured, they are used as a defensive weapon against enemy attackers. *'Knight Paladin' - The Paladin Knights are armed with both ranged and close-combat weapons. They are commonly equipped with Battle Cannons and large Chainswords. *'Knight Lancer' - The Lancer Knight are scout units, they are armed with a single Battle Cannon and a Power Lance but are much faster than other Knights. These Knights are commonly used to outflank enemy units during a battle. *'Knight Crusader' - The Crusader Knights are armed with heavy weapons desighned to be effective against enemy armed vehicles, they are usually armed with Lascannons and have increased armour. They are the slowest and least nimble of all the Knights. *'Knight Castellan - '''The Castellan Knight is the opposite of the Crusader Knight and is armed with weapons effective against enemy infantry, such as a multi-barreled Autocannon. *'Knight Errant''' - The Errant Knights are armed with heavy weaponry and are capable of fighting enemy super-heavy vehicles and even Titan sized enemies such as Gargants. *'Knight Baron' - The Baron Knights are usually piloted by a superior warrior with razor-sharp skills. A Baron Knight usually leads a Knight squadron into battle. As a sign of their status every Baron uses a custom-built Knight. These Knights are usually armed with Rapid-Firing Battle Cannons and a Power Lance. Ordinatus Ordinatus, '''also known as '''Ordinatii, are massive war-machines that are created by the Adeptus Mechanicus as needed. The Centurio Ordinatus is the organisation responsible for these machines. Every individual Ordinatus is a unique construction and is named for the world on which it was first built or employed. Each Ordinatus is unique in that it was designed for specific purpose, or for a particular battle. Every Ordinatus has a very specialised weapon system configured for their intended role. Known Ordinatii war-machines are as follows: *''' ]]Ordinatus Armageddon''' - The Armegeddon was originally constructed for the First War for Armageddon, against the Forces of Chaos during 474.M41. This machine was constructed to take on and destroy enemy Titans head-on with its Nova Cannon, the Nova Cannon is usually deployed on spacecraft. *''' Ordinatus Golgotha''' - The Golgotha was an Ordinatus armed with eight, massive Hellfire Missiles mounted in a battery on the surface of the machine. It was constructed for combat on the Squat homeworld of Golgotha during a massive Ork invasion. *''' Ordinatus Mars''' - During the Horus Heresy, even the Adeptus Mechanicus homeworld of Mars was in a state of rebellion. One of the first to be constructed, the Mars was created during this time to break through the defenses of the rebels holding up in the city of Castellum Jericho. The Ordinatus was armed with a massive Sonic Disruptor, which was well-suited for bringing down even the reinforced walls of the city. *'Ordinatus Priam' - The Priam was a huge machine equipped with various drilling and digging implements. It was originally designed to travel through a planet's mantle in order to bypass the defenses of the city of Priam. *'Ordinatus Gehenna' - The Gehenna is equipped with a massive weapon known as the Apocalypse Cannon, this weapon is capable of destroying mountains and punching a hole through the planet's crust to release magma. The Gehenna was fought over during the 13th Black Crusade by the Forces of Chaos and the Imperium. *'Ordinatus Magentus' - The Magentus is equipped with a Sonic Destructor Cannon, similar to the Ordinatus Mars, and is capable of annihilating entire city blocks and even mountain slopes. It was part of the Adeptus Mechanicus contingent during the battle against Chaos Space Marines of the Word Bearers Legion on the planet of Tanakreg. *'Unknown Ordinatus' - This Ordinatus was either built or transported to the planet Volcanis Ultor by the Dark Mechanicum. It was intended to destroy the Grey Knights before they could manage to breach the defense lines. However, the Ordinatus is destroyed by the wreckage of a Grey Knights Strike Cruiser, known as the Rubicon. After it was destroyed by the ships defending the planet from space it crashed crashed into the defense lines and destroyed the Ordinatus. Robots Imperial Robots are non-sentient, mechanical automatons that used for labor and combat. All Robots fall under the jurisdiction of an obscure branch of the Adeptus Mechanicus known as the Legio Cybernetica. Three to five robots, plus their attending tech-adept were organized in a single maniple, which were then organized into a cohort of less than a hundred maniples. During the Great Crusade and the following Horus Heresy, entire cohorts of Robots were spread across the armies of the Imperial Guard, then known as the Imperial Army, and the Space Marine Legions. On several occasions, Robots were made honorary members of a Space Marine Legion or Chapter for exemplary service. Robots have been included as honorary members of the Word Bearers Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy and the Desert Lions Space Marine Chapter after their participation in Operation Carthage on the planet of Istvaan V. Because of the actions of a legion of Robots, the Desert Lions lost only seven of their battle brothers in their siege. The types of Knights are listed below: *''Castellan'' - The Castellan is armed with twin Power Fists and a Heavy Bolter. *''Cataphract'' - The Cataphrat is armed with a Heavy Bolter, arm-mounted Flamers and a back-mounted weapon. *''Colossus'' - The Colossus is armed with a Heavy Bolter, arm-mounted Siege Hammers and a back-mounted weapon. *''Conqueror'' - The Conqueror is armed with a Power Fist, an arm-mounted Autocannon and a back-mounted Heavy Bolter. *''Crusader'' - The Crusader is armed with twin Power Swords and a back-mounted Lascannon. Titans Titans are giant humanoid war-machines used by the Adeptus Mechanicus Titan Legions. The smallest Titan, the Warhound, is approximately 15 metres tall and the largest, the Imperator, stands at over 150 metres tall. A single Titan has the ability to level a city and single-handedly destroy entire enemy armies. The armament of a Titan is flexible and many weapon combinations are possible. There are four types of Titans: *'Warhound-class Titan' - The Warhound is the smallest of the Titans and is usually used as a scout for the larger Titans. Warhounds are more animal-like in appearnce and are used in small squadrons of only two. *'[[Reaver-class Titan|''Reaver-class Titan]]' - The Reaver is larger than the Warhound, and is considered a battle Titan. The Reaver is the smaller of the two Battle Titans, the other being the Warlord. *'Warlord-class Titan' - The Warlord is the largest of the Battle Titans. The Warlord is usually the largest Titan many people will ever see, as the only larger Titan, the Emperor-class is extremely rare. *'Emperor-class Titan' - The Emperor Titans are the largest Titans built by the Mechanicum, they stand at over 150 metres tall. These Titans are extremely are and vary few Titan Legions have one amongst their ranks. Imperial Navy Aircraft and Spacecraft The Imperial Navy controls the use and distribution of both atmospheric aircraft and spacecraft, from the smallest interceptor to the largest Battleships and Cruisers. The following are known aircraft and spacecraft of the Imperial Navy: Aquila Lander ]]The 'Aquila Lander' is a light shuttle typically used by the Imperial Navy as a transport to carry officers and other important persons either from orbit or to another ship. Arvus Lighter The 'Arvus Lighter' is a small landing craft typically used by the Imperial Navy to transport cargo to and from the surface of a planet to orbit. The Arvus can also be pushed into combat when needed. Lightning The 'Lightning' is used by the Imperial Navy to quickly establishing air superiority during a battle due to its increased speed and maneuverability over the Thunderbolt fighter. It can be seen and heard plummeting from orbit or being scrambled from Imperial naval bases. Marauder Bomber The 'Marauder' is the primary bomber used during in-atmosphere planetary bombing raids by the Imperial Navy. It was at one point used also as the primary space bomber of the Imperial Navy, but has been replaced with the heavier Starhawk bomber for all exo-atmospheric bombing runs. The Marauder has several variants that are in use by the Imperium. VariantsEdit *'Marauder Destroyer''' - This variant of the Marauder bomber is equipped with more weapons and is mostly used as a night-attack heavy bomber, this variant was first developed during the Third War for Armageddon in order to combat the Orks who had air superiority. *'Marauder Colossus' - This variant of the Marauder was designed as a heavy ordinance bomber capable of destroying heavily fortified structures and strong-points. *'Marauder Vigilant' - This non-combat variant of the Marauder Bomber is equipped with sophisticated and powerful surveillance equipment in order to carry out aerial reconnaissance and signal intelligence intercepts on enemy forces. Thunderbolt The Thunderbolt heavy fighter is one of the two main fighter aircraft patterns used by the Imperial Navy, the other of which is the Lightning air superiority fighter. The Thunderbolt is the mainstay weapon system of Imperial Navy fighter wings and is a rugged, well-armed and armoured heavy fighter with all-around capabilities, a good maximum speed and above-average maneuverability, powerful nose-mounted weapons and hard points located on the wings for missile or bomb load-outs. It is an aircraft that is well-liked by those who fly and service it and it has served the cause of the Emperor for many centuries. Valkyrie Valkyrie]]The Valkyrie is an Imperial Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) airborne assault carrier used primarily by the Imperial Guard as both a gunship and a transport for airborne combat regiments like Storm Trooper Squads and the Elysian Drop Troops. The Valkyrie's primary armament is a Multi-Laser or a Lascannon that is mounted just to the side of the cockpit. There are several known variants of the Valkyrie, used for different tasks. VariantsEdit *'Valkyrie Sky Talon' - This variant of the Valkyrie is used to transport light vehicles that are to be used as heavy support for drop-infantry, such as the Elysian Drop Troops. *'Vendetta' - Unlike the Sky Talon variant of the Valkyrie, the Vendetta is heavily armed and is used as a tank hunter, the Vendetta will stay after dropping off its cargo to act as heavy air support for ground infantry. Vulture The Vulture is a gunship of the Imperial Navy that is capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). It is used as a heavy air support vehicle for Imperial Guard ground units and the Valkyrie transport. The Vulture is very similar in appearance to the Valkyrie, but with a drastically different role on the battlefield. The Vulture is capable of equipping a large variety of weapons and is able to engage both infantry and armoured units, and is also able to effectively attack fortified enemy structures and bunkers. Spacecraft The main purpose of the Imperial Navy isn't the control of planetary aircraft, a task usually left up to the planets or regiments that use them, but the control and distribution of all forms of spacecraft. The Imperium's size alone means the Imperial Navy needs millions or even billions of void-capable crafts of every shape and size. The known types and variants of the Imperial Navy's Starships and Star Fighters are as follows: *Apocalypse-class Battleship *Oberon-class Battleship *Firestorm-class Cruiser *Cobra-class Destroyer *Castellan-class Shield Ship *Stalwart-class Escort Ship *Dominator-class Cruiser *Goliath-class Factory Ship *Galaxy-class Troop Transport *Emperor-class Battleship *Retribution-class Battleship *Vengeance-class Grand Cruiser *Exorcist-class Grand Cruiser *Avenger-class Grand Cruiser *Mars-class Battlecruiser *Overlord-class Battlecruiser *Armageddon-class Battlecruiser *Lunar-class Cruiser *Tyrant-class Cruiser *Dominator-class Cruiser *Gothic-class Cruiser *Dictator-class Cruiser *Dauntless-class Light Cruiser *Defiant-class Light Cruiser *Endeavour-class Light Cruiser *Endurance-class Light Cruiser *Sword-class Frigate *Firestorm-class Frigate *Falchion-class Destroyer *Fury Interceptor *Starhawk Bomber *Shark Assault Boat Inquisition Vehicles The various Ordos of the Inquisition have three Chambers Militant branches, these include the Daemonhunters, where they are paired with the Grey Knights Space Marine Chapter, the Alien Hunters, which are paired with the Deathwatch Space Marine Chapter, and the Witch Hunters, where the Inquisition is partnered with the Sisters of Battle, the Adepta Sororitas. Many of the vehicles in use by Inquisition forces are simply modified versions of the vehicles used by the Imperial Guard and the Space Marines. Known vehicles of the Inquisition and the Chambers Militant include but are not limited to the following: Chimera While the Chimera is the standard armoured personnel carrier of the Imperial Guard, the Inquisition has their own specially outfitted Chimeras that are used by their Storm Troopers and other units. Land Raider The Land Raider, the heavily-armoured assault transport of the Space Marines, can also be used by the forces of the Inquisition. These vehicles are used to carry large numbers of Inquisition Storm Troopers into battle. Penitent Engine ]]The Penitent Engine is a war machine fielded by the Witch Hunters. The machine itself is a large semi-humanoid combat walker, with two long arms tipped in buzz saws. The pilot, which is a repentant zealot determined to become a martyr in the fires of battle for whatever real or imagined sins they may have committed, is strapped to the unarmoured front of the machine. In addition to its cutting implements, the Penitent Engine is also armed with two flamers attached to each arm. Penitent Engines are an awe-inspiring sight to any who walk into battle alongside it as they potent reminders of the fate of heretics. Many times Penitent Engines are used by the Ecclesiarchy as a form of punishment or reward for repentant sinners and criminals, though it is not strictly necessary for the individual in question to have actually committed any sin before they are installed in the machine. The pilot is hard-wired into the frame of the engine and is pumped full of drugs and chemicals, driving them into a frenzied state in combat. They are then pointed in the general direction of the enemy and unleashed, whereupon they charge out of control at the nearest enemy, ripping them open with its dreadnought close-combat weapons or incinerating them with the built-in flame throwers. Rhino The Rhino, while best known as a Space Marine transport, can be used to transport Inquisitors and their retinues. Entire squads of Inquisitorial Stormtroopers can also be transported in a Rhino if their improved armour is needed over the Chimera. Sisters of Battle Vehicles The Sisters of Battle offically known as the Adepta Sororitas 'are the Chambers Militant of the Ecclesiarchy, known as the Witch Hunters. They are similar in many ways to the Space Marines, and they share some of the same vehicles. However, Sisters of Battle also make use of a few vehicles unique to their forces as well, such as: Rhino ]]While the 'Rhino 'Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) is the standard transport of the Space Marines, it is also in wide use by the Adepta Sororitas. Rhinos are fielded as transports for most troops of the Sisters of Battle. These Rhinos are mostly identical to the ones fielded by the Space Marines, however they are usually adorned with various sigils and symbols used by the Sisters of Battle. Exorcist ]]The 'Exorcist is a specialized artillery platform utilized by the Sisters of Battle. The tank has a single weapon, the armor piercing, yet extremely random Exorcist Launcher. The Exorcist's main weapon can be both shaped like a organ instrument that fires its missiles skyward, or as a normal shaped missile launcher similar in appearance to the Space Marine Whirlwind artillery tank. Exorcists are incapable of being manufactured in the 41st Millennium, and thus they are rare vehicles and are regarded as works of art, as much a symbol of the Emperor as a provider of long-range fire support. As the STCs for the Exorcist have been lost, fewer and fewer Forge Worlds are capable of conducting repairs and the remaining tanks that are in service are rather unpredictable in operation. Immolator ]]The Immolator is a specialized assault transport vehicle used by the Sisters of Battle, it is used to carry small squads of sisters into the thick of battle. The Immolator is a simple variant of the Razorback armoured transport commonly used by the Space Marines. Like the Razorback, the Immolator uses the same body as the Rhino armoured personnel carrier and is equipped with a top-mounted weapons system. Like the Razorback, it more-or-less has half the transport capacity of a Rhino, due to the ammunition for the top weapon taking up transport space. The Immolator can be armed with either a Twin-linked Heavy Flamers, Twin-linked Multi-meltas, or Twin-linked Heavy Bolters. Incarcerator The Incarcerator is a specialized, non-combat vehicle occasionally used by the Witch Hunters and the Sisters of Battle. It is essentially a combination of a holding cell and execution chamber mounted on the chassis of a Rhino armoured transport. Repressor ]]The Repressor is a specialized armoured assault transport used primarily by the Sisters of Battle when they need to enter a heavily crowded areas. Armed with a Storm Bolter and a Pintle-mounted Heavy Flamer, the Repressor is used for crowd-suppression and general anti-infantry work. In addition, the expanded passenger compartment has six firing slots so that up to that many passengers can fire out from the vehicle with their personal weaponry. The tank is primarily used for an anti-insurgency and mob-suppression role, equipped with a dozer blade in front for battering through gates and mobs of people. Sources *''White Dwarf'' 126 (UK), pp. 28-45 *''White Dwarf'' 191 (UK), pp. 48-53 *''White Dwarf'' 104 (UK), pp. 15-31 *''White Dwarf'' 112 (UK), pp. 68-72 *''Imperial Armour'' *''Imperial Armour Update 2006'', p. 48 *''Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy'', p. 284 *''Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition'', p. 54 *''Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign'' *''Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project'' *''Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part One'' *''Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two'' *''Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three'' *''Imperial Armour Apocalypse'' *''Imperial Armour Apocalypse 2nd Edition'' *''Imperial Armour Apocalypse II'' *''Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior'' (PC Game) *''Codex: Daemonhunters (3rd Edition), p. 64 *''Codex: Witch Hunters ''(3rd Edition), p. 64 *''White Dwarf''293 (UK), pp. 80-81 *''Chapter Approved: The Second Book of the Astronomican, p. 128 *''White Dwarf'' 212 (UK), p. 125 *''Codex: Imperial Guard'' (5th Edition) *''Codex: Space Marines'' (5th Edition) Category:V Category:Imperial Technology Category:Vehicles Category:Imperium Category:Imperial Guard Category:I Category:Imperial Vehicles Category:Inquisition Category:Adeptus Mechanicus Category:Spacecraft Category:Space Marines Category:Chaos Space Marines